what kaly found v.12

Well, let’s see, what I found this week is that it’s pretty difficult to get anything done when your youngest is wiped out by a stomach bug. Watching your kids be sick is bad enough, but sitting around waiting for it to strike you isn’t much fun either.

I thought that this week I would give you a list of some of my favorite books that have helped me over the last few years.

After I posted the whole story of my personal development, I realized that I was offering a glimpse into something that is possible but not sharing the tools that I actually used to make it possible. Kind of like telling you there is indeed a destination but you’ll have to find your own map.

So today I’m sharing a few favorites (in alphabetical order) from my reading list that I found to be helpful and thrown in a little commentary as well. Remember it took me a few years to read and process all this info.

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp: A practical manifesto from a renowned choreographer on how to tap into your own creativity (everyone is creative) and make it a regular practice in your life.

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown: Huge inspiration for me to “get in the ring” of my own life.

Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix: I actually hated this book. Hated every word of it until I realized my resistance was indeed a sign that I had, ahem, a lot of work to do in this area. This is a book for couples looking to take their relationship to a deeper more conscious level. It’s heavy. But worth it if you’re ready.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown: An all time favorite. Very accessible, easy to read, truth telling about living a wholehearted life.

The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin: One of the first I read on my journey, it helped me see that we control our daily lives through the choices we make and can structure them for optimal happiness.

Happier at Home by Gretchin Rubin: A follow-up to The Happiness Project, this is another great look at home/family life and how you can make decisions in your home life that give you and your family the most joy.

Healing the Shame that Binds You by John Bradshaw: A very in depth look at shame and how it impacts us. Reads more like a psychology book but addresses a wide range of shame related issues. Guess what? We all have them.

I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) by Brené Brown: Shame 101 when it come to understanding shame and recognizing how it plays out in your life.

Perfect Madnes, Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety by Judith Warner: Probably the most worn and dog eared book I own, and very helpful to me in decoding the landscape of motherhood. Published in 2005, but I think still relevant.

Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain: A look at being an introvert in an extroverted world. My full review here.

This Is Not The Story You Think It Is…A Season of Unlikely Happiness by Laura Munson: This is a memoir that wonderfully captures a woman’s choice to be happy as her life falls apart around her. A good reminder that happiness is a choice that comes from within.

Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work by Steven Pressfield: A follow up to The War of Art, this book examines what it takes and how it feels to raise your craft from the amateur to professional level.

That War of Art by Steven Pressfield: A must read for anyone who’s always wanted to do something but can’t seem to push through their own resistance. I’ll be writing this up in more detail on Monday.

Happy reading! Have a very real weekend.